The late 14 century. The Bulgarian Kingdom declines as castles, cities and entire provinces fall to the Turkish conquerors. King Ivan Alexander has been improvident enough to divide his realm between two sons. The elder of them, Ivan Stratzimir, has quarreled bitterly with his stepbrother Ivan Shishman. Left alone, Ivan Shishman is doomed to face a succession of humiliations, plots and defeats. He is forced to accept the status of an Ottoman vassal and give away his sister Mara as a wife to Sultan Murad. However, this will not save the realm. In 1393, the invaders attack the metropolis. After a siege of three months, the defenders can no longer hold out against an enemy. Before he dies, the captive King drinks the cup of sorrow to the lees: he sees his country enslaved.—Georgi Djulgerov <[email protected]>